On Black Atheism: Anthony B. Pinn

A recent New York Times article profiled African Americans who don't believe in God or who have eschewed the faith that many assume is central to the black experience. What does the apparent rise in atheism and agnosticism (pdf) among blacks tell us about the utility of religion for African Americans in today's social and political climate? Interviews with academics, activists and advocates from everywhere on the religious spectrum reveal the diversity of views on this historically fraught -- and, for many, highly personal -- topic.

For the first in the series, The Root talked to Anthony B. Pinn, Ph.D., a professor of religious studies at Rice University and expert on humanism within African-American communities, liberation theology and African-American religious history.

The Root: Are African Americans better or worse off as a result of religion, and why?

Anthony B. Pinn: I think African Americans are worse off because of their allegiance to theism. The belief in God and gods has not been particularly useful or productive for them. It has lessened their appeal to their own creativity and ingenuity, and in most cases has resulted in a kind of bizarre understanding of suffering as a marker of closeness to God and a mark of divine favor. Nothing good can come out of that.

TR: Research shows that African Americans believe in God at higher rates than the general population. What explains and sustains the higher rate of spirituality in the black community?

ABP: What's also important is the increase in the number of African Americans who say they don't adhere to any particular religious tradition [pdf]. That number over the past couple of decades has radically increased. But I think this belief in God remains fairly strong within the African-American community because it provides a kind of safety mechanism. In a world that seems absurd, living in a community that continuously encounters death-dealing forces, the idea that there's something out there that has your back, that's ultimately looking out for you and wants the best for you, can be comforting, although there's no real evidence for it and no real substance behind it. It's a kind of cosmic security blanket.

TR: While less than one-half of a percent of African Americans identify themselves as atheists, compared with 1.6 percent of the total population, this group has become more vocal in recent years. What's changed that has allowed blacks to feel more comfortable admitting that they don't believe in God?

It also seems to reflect a general trend within the larger culture toward becoming more accepting of those who say, "I don't believe, and I don't apologize for it."

Finally, in Obama's inaugural address, he spoke of nonbelief in a rather positive way. No doubt that that encouraged others to say, "Well, OK, this is what I am. No apologies."

TR: What are the best and worst ways that religion factors into African-American political views and political activity? How is faith leveraged to motivate or to manipulate?

ABP: One of the negative ways religion has factored in is to provide justification for discrimination in the African-American community. Religion became a way, first, for denying women full participation ... It's also provided a way for folks to disregard and abuse gays and lesbians. It allows for an "in group" and an "out group," and you can do whatever you'd like to the out group. It has justified horrible, horrific behavior with respect to the out groups.

TR: Could the civil rights movement have happened without Christianity?

ABP: We give Christianity too much credit. Like Martin Luther King Jr. argued, the vast majority of churches weren't involved. We also forget there was a humanist and atheist presence within the civil rights movement. So the question is, could it have happened without determined people? No. Was it a movement that was completely dependent upon Christians and other theists? No, never.

TR: If Christianity -- and religious belief overall -- declines in the African-American community, how, if at all, will it impact the fight for social justice moving forward?

ABP: It seems to me it will ground the fight for justice within human activity, what we can gather through the strength of our own determination and capacity as human beings, rather than relying on some sort of cosmic assistance that never comes through.

TR: If more African Americans are atheists or agnostics these days, what does that say about where we are as a community? What does it predict for the future of black people in America?

ABP: It simply points to the long-standing diversity within our community, in which atheists and humanists have always existed. It also puts responsibility for progress of African Americans squarely on the shoulders of people.